Dancing Colors
by lemmonpie
Summary: Jasper is just going through the motions in his life, but one look at that tiny, little, tattooed dancer that passes him on the gym stairs every day and he knows his life is about to change. Entry for the Etched In Ink Festival.


AUTHOR: Lemmonpie  
TITLE: Dancing Colors  
INSPIRATION: ./tumblr_m0lwxeJAsg1rro3hgo1_  
PAIRING: Alice/Jasper  
RATING: T

….

Disclaimer: I do not own any Twilight characters or plot lines, I do own about three pairs of ballet slippers and the hope to get many tattoos one day.

AN: don't even ask where I get this stuff, my brain plays a lot of tricks on me, turning people I see on a regular basis into characters for fics. On the other hand, I am a ballet, jazz and tap dancer for real so there will be some technical names in here. Oh, and Jasper's tattoos are loosely based on Frank Iero's because he's got the best ones ever.

Summary: Jasper is just going through the motions in his life, but one look at that tiny, little, tattooed dancer that passes him on the gym stairs every day and he knows his life is about to change.

….

Jasper is running though the gym door as fast as he can, he's late for his Muay Thai class and he knows it; his coach is going to be so pissed at him. He's about to go around the corner of the hall and head to his class when a small, tiny really, girl dashes by him, taking the stairs two at a time as she tries to put her shoulder-length black spiky hair into a little, messy bun.

He just stares after her, not really sure why he can't move or breathe properly, or even remember what the heck he is doing at the gym. Oh, right! His class! He sprints to the classroom and changes into his blue shorts and gray wife-beater. He specially loves that one; it showcases his colorful inked sleeves with pictures of his grandparents, important dates, bands, movies he loves and his chest piece.

His tattoos are amazing, all done by his best friend Edward and his fiancée Bella, owners and artists at "Forget Me Not" Tattoo Parlor. They tell Jasper's story, the things and people he loves and memories he wants to keep with him forever. They are a scrapbook for his life and everyone in it.

The class passes uneventfully; his best achievement is putting Emmett in a headlock that has him tapping out for his life. After class he goes home, showers, has some dinner and plays a little something on his bass before passing out on the bed. And of course, he does all these things thinking about the small girl he saw earlier.

Two days later, in a repeat of previous events; he enters the gym, late again. And then there she is, just like before, rushing past him and bouncing up the stairs with such momentum that a pair of black ballet slippers fall out of her open duffle bag. She turns on her toes to grab them but they are already in Jasper's hands, his tattooed knuckles clutching carefully at the delicate item.

He looks up at her as she comes down the steps with a smile on her face, and he's love struck to the point of stupidity. It takes him a second too long to react before he extends his hand towards her.

"Here you go." He drawls in his Texan accent, handing them back instead of helping her put them on, because just how fucking Cinderella is this? Not that his friends need to know, but Cinderella is Jasper's favorite fairy tale.

"Thank you." She smiles and takes her slippers, shoving them into her green and black polka dot duffle bag. "Nice knuckles!" She says and Jasper looks down at his hands, reading the blue and orange letters that spell 'Stay Free' for the millionth time as Joe Strummer's voice sings them back to him.

"Thanks." He nods and he's about to introduce himself but when he looks up, she's already heading upstairs, most probably going to her ballet class. He smiled after her and headed to his class, maybe his coach wouldn't as pissed as the other day about his tardiness, but that was just wishful thinking.

Friday, late afternoon, rolls in and Jasper is back in the gym and heading to his class, actually on time. So that's probably why he doesn't see his mystery ballerina.

His class ends and he's about to leave the gym, on his way to practice with Edward and Peter on their so called band. He's walking towards the door but a light at the end of the hall catches his eye and, like a moth to the flame, he goes.

The sight takes his breath away. There she is, dressed in some holey black tights that are transparent enough that he can make out some tattooed sentences on her legs, a black pinch front camisole leotard, a burgundy hipster shorts and cream colored Gaynor Minden point shoes. Her upper arms are filled with intricate and colorful designs, he can see a sugar skull, a lotus flower, a pin-up girl, some words on her arms, Swallows on her collar bones and lettering on her back spells 'Death Or Glory' between her shoulder blades.

She's dancing and she looks like a fairy, all soft movements and strength and she's all his fantasies wrapped into one small, lovely, tatted up, sexy ballet dancer.

A tall and statuesque girl sees him and turns to tell her that she's got a secret admirer but he leaves before she can glance at the door, a little bit disappointed when she doesn't see him, disappointed that she can't see who was there.

The routine continues for several weeks. They see each other at the gym door, running late for their respective classes; they smile or nod, and sometimes an occasional "Hi" is uttered, but that's it. Jasper still spies on her as she dances, her movements are fluid, graceful and so beautiful that he can't help but think that there's something magical about them.

She pretends not to notice him, even though her friends tell her that her little stalker is there, but she doesn't care; she likes him watching, she thinks it's sweet in a very high-school-kind-of-way.

The whole thing goes on for about three months and Jasper can't believe his luck when he sees his fairy dancer at the coffee shop near the gym. He bulks up some courage and goes to add sugar and cinnamon to his latte at the same time she does.

"Hi," he smiles down at her, because, really, she's like 5'2" and he's over 6' tall.

"Hi!" she responds with a smile that could light up the entire place, "Wait, I don't even know your name."

"Oh, I'm Jasper." He nods and extends his hand.

"Alice." She says, taking it. "Like in Wonderland!"

He laughs at her cuteness while answering, "Of course."

They sit at an empty table and talk for hours, about everything and anything. About how she's been dancing since she was four (she's twenty-three now), about her fashion designing career, about his photography career and how he's been playing in a band with his two best friends for two years now. They jump from subject from subject, never running out of things to say. They get to his tattoos, well the ones that show on his hands and forearms under his Ramones hoodie, and how his best friend Edward has done every single one of them. He asks about her tattoos and she smiles, talking about how important her they are; how they show who she is and what she loves. He nods at her answer, knowing the feeling.

He's decided right there that she's perfect and he might be falling in love with her.

Alice looks at her clock and her eyes widen, she can't believe how time flew and she shoots up off her chair, gathering her stuff in haste.

"What's wrong?" Jasper asks.

"Oh, no, nothing," she smiles, afraid to have scared him, "I just have to go to my tap dance class."

"I can walk you to the gym," he offers coyly, "if you want."

"Sure!" She grins and they start towards the door.

They walk the short three blocks to the gym still talking and laughing. And when they get to the door, Alice rises to the points of her toes like the ballerina she is and plants a light kiss on Jasper's left cheek, leaving him speechless.

"See you around!" She smiles and enters the building as he just stands there with a silly smile, nodding his response. Luckily, she was out of sight when Jasper raised his hand to the spot where he could still feel her lips.

When his brain starts to work again, he walks the few blocks to Edward's apartment for their weekly dinner together. When he gets there, Bella opens the door and greets Jasper with a hug. She leads him into the living room before disappearing into the kitchen; leaving he and Edward to play Guitar Hero before the veggie lasagna is ready.

"So, guess what my lovely bride got for us." Edward smiles as they sit on the table, having dinner.

"I had the weirdest day ever, man; don't make me think, please!" Jasper groans.

"Lazy-ass!" Bella smirks before taking another forkful of lasagna.

"Okay, fine!" Edward starts, "She got us a gig next weekend at Garrett's bar!"

"What? How did you do that?" Jasper yells in happiness with a huge smile on his face.

"Garrett came by the shop to get his chest piece finished, told me that he wanted to start featuring bands in the bar and I told him about you guys." Bella explained, "He agreed in a heartbeat and I booked you for next Saturday, which gives you a week to rehearse, make a set list and polish everything."

"You rule, Bells." Jasper grins.

"That she does." Edward agrees before kissing her cheek.

They carry on with dinner and Edward gets up to get dessert, he's made brownies, and he brings them to the table on a leopard printed plastic tray. Bella loves leopard print; he accepted that many years ago.

"So, why was your day weird?" Bella asks Jasper as she munches on a brownie.

"You guys remember the ballerina I always see at the gym, right?" Jasper asks and both of his friends nod, he's been talking about her for weeks now. "Well, I was at the coffee house and I saw her. I went to say hi to her and we got talking. I swear she's perfect, she's like all I want in a girl and then some!" he smiles.

"Ask her to the gig." Edward says with half a brownie falling from his mouth.

"Does she know you play?" Bella asks, handing a napkin to her fiancée.

"Yeah, I told her about our band."

"So, that's settled, you ask her to the gig and I keep her company while you guys play!" Bella grins, with a plan set in motion and the prospect of a new friend.

"You think she'll come?"

"Oh, let's see, she spends her afternoon talking to you, agreed to let you walk her to class and kissed your cheek," Edward lists, "I think she's definitely coming!"

They all smile at each other and finish up dinner. Jasper helps them clean up before he goes home, the extra ticket for Alice secure in his pocket.

It's been a couple of days since he last saw Alice but he knows she's at her ballet class on the top floor of the gym; so after his own class he goes looking for her, with the ticket in his hand and his heart on his sleeve.

He gets to her classroom and hides behind the column so he can get to see her for a bit, see her dance like she's encased in a corset and fluffy tutu on a stage with hundreds of people in the audience. But really, she's just wearing her same ripped tights, a plain black leotard and a comfy blue cardigan in a classroom with her friends and an old stereo playing 'Swan Lake'.

Her teacher sees him; of course she does, and shoots him a menacing, almost motherly, look and reaches to press 'pause' on the stereo.

"Alice?" She calls, "the boy that tends to spy on you is here again, go see what he wants, please."

Upon hearing this, Jasper blushes greatly and it only gets worse when he sees Alice come his way with a small smile playing on her lips.

"Hey!" She chirps.

"Hi," he smiles, "Sorry about that."

"It's alright, Carmen just hates when people look in on us, and she wants to keep the rehearsals a secret."

"Oh, well, sorry again."

"No problem." Alice reassures him, "So, what brings you here?"

"Well, my band and I are having our fist gig ever and I wanted to ask you if you wanted to come see us." He says, holding his breath at the end of the sentence.

"Of course!" She beams, "Where is it?"

"Saturday night. Here," He says, handing the ticket.

"Great! I'll be there!" She grins up at him with a nod.

"Alice, dear, I need my white swan!" Carmen yells from inside the classroom.

"I'd better get back or I'm gonna be doing pirouettes in fifth position for an hour." Alice jokes, "I'll see you on Saturday!" She smiles again before going back to the room.

The big day arrives and Alice starts to get ready for the show. She doesn't know why but she is sort of nervous. Well, she does know why; she really likes Jasper and she's trying hard not to read too much into the invitation.

She showers and goes like a tornado around her small apartment, she throws on some dark skinny jeans, black combat booths, a loose gray tank and a raspberry pink cardigan. Her makeup is simple; black mascara and smudged eyeliner, a little bit of a pinkish blush and some minty lip-gloss. She grabs her keys, the ticket, wallet and cell before leaving for the bar.

When she enters the bar, she sees Jasper and two other guys on the stage getting their instruments ready; he's wearing dark jeans, blue Converse shoes and a white The Smiths t-shirt. He looks like all her dreams come true. She stands by the make-shift stage, as the boys turn up the amps and finish everything for their set.

"You must be Alice!" Bella beams and hands her a beer bottle, "I'm Bella, Edward's fiancée, and this is Charlotte, Peter's wife."

"Oh, Jasper mentioned you, thanks!" she smiles and takes a sip of beer. The girls engage in easy conversation, about tattoos, their jobs, music and, of course, the guys.

Edward says hello on the mic and introduces the three of them and the name of the band before they start to play. They actually sound kind of great. Jasper spots Alice with the rest of the girls and winks at her with a smirk as she giggles and coyly waves back.

They play for a good forty minutes before they thank the audience and say goodbye. Jasper disconnects every cable on his amp and bass before putting it into its case and loading it on Peter's truck.

He comes back into the bar and grabs the beer Edward is holding out for him. He sees Alice, still talking to the girls and smiles. He can't believe she's actually here.

"Go talk to her." Edward urges and Peter nods.

"Wish me luck!"

"You don't need it!" Peter smirks.

"Hi," he says as he approaches the girls, who conveniently leave them alone to hang out with their men.

"Hey! You guys were great up there!"

"Thank you." He smiles, "And thanks for coming."

"I wouldn't have missed it for the world." She beams.

He smiles like a kid on Christmas morning and takes a sip of beer before the filter between his brain and his mouth goes off. "You look really pretty, I mean, I think you look cute with your dance clothes but you look awesome." He blurts.

She giggles. "Thank you, you look really good too," she smiles, "The Smiths are my favorite band."

"They are? No way! Mine too!" he grins. She's perfect. He takes a deep breath, "Alice?" he asks.

"Yeah?"

And the next thing she knows, his lips are attached to hers, they are soft and sweet, as his arms wrap around her tiny waist and her hands go straight for his hair.

When they break away for air they break into a silly grin and rest their foreheads together.

"Finally!" Alice whispers as she looks up to him.

"Finally." Jasper agrees.

…

Hope you enjoyed that one!

XOXO


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